Voigtlander 15mm on a Canon 7 body how to know what my view is

L

Louisianaman

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I understand it's easy to screw my new 15 mm voigtlander into my Canon 7 body but how do you know what you're seeing because I can only dial it down to 35 mm lensh frame?
 
Normally you would use an external viewfinder in the camera's hotshoe/coldshoe. But since there isn't a shoe on the standard Canon 7, you just have to guess. Alternatively, you could get a small flash bracket and put the viewfinder in the bracket's shoe.
 
Canon did make an accessory bracket, with a cold shoe, that allowed you to mount an external viewfinder on the Canon 7. But being a collector's item, they are pricey.

Jim B.
 
The Canon 7 lacking a cold shoe is kind of frustrating if you want to use a Veiwfinder on it for lenses wider than 35mm.

A cold shoe from a scrap Fed camera and some 3M double sided tape might be the solution if you don't mind non originality mods on your non pristine Canon 7 camera.
 
xayraa33 said:
A cold shoe from a scrap Fed camera and some 3M double sided tape might be the solution if you don't mind non originality mods on your non pristine Canon 7 camera.
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That's what I do. Slightly worried it could fall off though.
Short of getting an external viewfinder, you can try to visualise the angle of view you get - if you can't do the trigonometry, there are tables and calculators online. Draw the horizontal angle on a piece of paper and stick it on you camera. Or figure out something like this: if I put my index finger on my nose, finger pointing upwards, the space I see between the double image of the finger from both eyes is the 28mm horizontal aov. I suppose for 15mm, you may have to have both thumbs on the ears or something like that.
 
Canon also make a cold shoe that attached the the flash socket on the side if you can't find the attachment that adds a cold shoe to the center of the camera. The one that goes on the side is easier to find, but not as useful as the one that centers it. Or you could trade your 7 for a 7s.
 
To answer your question, everything in your field of view including your peripheral vision. That's what I have noticed when I compare what I see with what I see in the external viewfinder.

I hope that helps. You really do need the viewfinder as the others said.
 
shorelineae said:
To answer your question, everything in your field of view including your peripheral vision. That's what I have noticed when I compare what I see with what I see in the external viewfinder.

I hope that helps. You really do need the viewfinder as the others said.
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Thank you so much. I clearly didn't think it through before I purchased it. I will take your advice and try to center it in the rangefinder. Maybe I'll become prolific in its use. I'm not holding my breath😃
 
Louisianaman said:
Thank you so much. I clearly didn't think it through before I purchased it. I will take your advice and try to center it in the rangefinder. Maybe I'll become prolific in its use. I'm not holding my breath😃
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The only way to become good at this or any other focal length is to shoot a lot of it. ;) Be patient and kind to yourself.

And get another main lens (35mm) for your daily use :D
 
shorelineae said:
To answer your question, everything in your field of view including your peripheral vision. That's what I have noticed when I compare what I see with what I see in the external viewfinder.
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This actually makes using the 15mm quite easy. The camera viewfinder shows you the center of your image area, and “everything you can see peripherally” (when you’re looking at that point) is what gets into the image.
No, it’s not precise. You need precise, crop it in post. 🤨
 
davhill said:
No, it’s not precise. You need precise, crop it in post. 🤨
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A scale focused 15mm lens with a max aperture of f/4.5 isn't precise anyway. It's a fun, unique, creative tool which just needs some practice and patience. I used to use my entire field of view that was in my eyeglass frames (I was wearing bigger frames at the time) with my face up against the back of the camera and I don't think I could have gotten much better, if at all, if I were using the viewfinder.

Phil Forrest
 
Phil_F_NM said:
A scale focused 15mm lens with a max aperture of f/4.5 isn't precise anyway. It's a fun, unique, creative tool which just needs some practice and patience. I used to use my entire field of view that was in my eyeglass frames (I was wearing bigger frames at the time) with my face up against the back of the camera and I don't think I could have gotten much better, if at all, if I were using the viewfinder.

Phil Forrest
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Thank you sir
 
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